Friday, October 07, 2011

The Art of Wardrobe Building Part I: Bare Necessities

The introductory post to to our "The Art of Wardrobe Building" project struck a chord among many of you dear readers. I enjoyed reading your comments and emails and like yourselves, I am all the more convinced that this is something we should really explore further. Here's the first installment:

The first step to building a wardrobe starts with the "unmentionables" or intimates, aka underwear. When building your wardrobe, begin by investing in underwear that is comfortable and fits well. After all, great-fitting, seamless underwear is the foundation of a perfect wardrobe. Clothes look and fall better when worn without unsightly bumps, lumps and visible panty lines.

While it would be nice to invest in pretty lingerie from La Perla, Kiki de Montparnasse or Agent Provocateur, there's no need to spend a fortune, unless the agenda is seduction. Hahaha! Personally, I am happy with department store brands like Wonderbra and Jockey.

After 2 years of wearing nursing bras (Bravado Maternity is the best!) I recently just started wearing regular brassieres. I started shopping around for regular bras about a month ago now that Berry is pretty much weaned off. But having been used to comfortable nursing bras, I can't seem to go back to underwire bras and had trouble looking for wireless ones. Luckily, I stumbled upon Wonderbra's Full of Wonder Wire Free Bra (see photo above) in Robinsons. It comes in two colors, black and nude, and of course I had to get both. The bra is pretty, fits well and is so comfortable, with enough padding so there's enough coverage for when it gets chilly, if you know what I mean, ahaha!

I have been using Jockey's No Panty Line Promise for almost ten years now. I hate the sight of VPL (Visible Panty Line, in case you didn't know) on other girls, I have to stop myself from tapping them on the shoulder and telling them - "Jockey. No Panty Line Promise". This is one versatile piece. Whether you wear one under a formal dress or jeans, it just works like a charm. Since I can never bring myself to wear butt floss, seamless underwear is my salvation and cure to VPL. Take my advice, get a couple in black and nude. Nude is especially perfect for when you're wearing white jeans or a white dress.

Emmanuelle Alt swears by Wolford tights, its in her Top 10 Wardrobe Essentials. But I didn't buy because she said so. I actually just found out about it recently, pinky swear. I bought a couple of Matte 80s back when we were living in the States, and they are totally worth it. Admittedly, they are bit pricey for hosiery, but I got mine from Bare Necessities because they offer free shipping and they're part of Ebates, so I got lucky there. With Wolfords, you don't have to worry about needing back ups since one pair can actually last you the whole winter, but that'll be gross so you have to buy more. They're just so warm and rubs so nicely against the skin.

You might also want to buy a couple of slips and camisoles for unlined silk dresses or sheer ones. I got most of mine from Target and Anthropologie. Marks & Spencer would have some nice ones. Of course, most department stores would have these as well.

Oh and add tank tops to wear under sheer tops and bandeaus for low neck tops. Zara and Mango carries these. Get a couple in nude, black and white.

Lastly, if you need shapewear, then don't hesitate to get one. There are a host of brands to choose from - from Jockey to Assets and Spanx.

If you are working with a budget, you wouldn't want to spend a chunk of it on underwear. Just start with good quality pieces in basic colors like nude and black. You can expand your lingerie repertoire in silk, satin and lace when you've got, errm, all the rest covered.

I hate VPL too and that's why I seldom wear skirts and dresses but once I had to wear one for a formal event. Luckily I found some seamless undies with no visible lines at Soma, for a discounted price!Love your blog, by the way! Looking forward to reading more of your posts!